Wow. What a year. 2022 is but a memory, and it is that time (or about 2 months after that time) when everyone tells you 10 things they enjoyed or hated or felt weird about. It’s been half a decade since I did an annual reflection in the medium of personal website blog, which has already become super outdated that it became cool again and already outdated again. So I have so much to say.
Just kidding. I figured I would just share some words I took note of. Yeah, I’m talking vocabulary!
Now, some throat clearing. A lot of these words I knew already (and you probably do, too), but I made a conscious effort last year (well, since April) to actually look up a word if I couldn’t honestly tell myself what it specifically meant.
I only included the definitions here that I found relevant — for example, I knew “redolent” meant something along the lines of “remind” but I found out that it was more specific to the nose…
The words
Weltanschauung: a particular philosophy or view of life; the worldview of an individual or group.
anodyne: not likely to provoke dissent or offense; inoffensive, often deliberately so.
orthogonal: of or involving right angles; at right angles.
farrago: a confused mixture.
epigram: a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way.
meretricious: 1. apparently attractive but having in reality no value or integrity. 2. (ARCHAIC) relating to or characteristic of a prostitute.
flywheel: 1. a heavy revolving wheel in a machine that is used to increase the machine’s momentum and thereby provide greater stability or a reserve of available power during interruptions in the delivery of power to the machine. 2. (My definition from context clues) something that provides balance.
exegesis: critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture.
occlude: hide or obscure from prominence or view.
zugzwang: (CHESS) a situation in which the obligation to make a move in one’s turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage.
scabrous: 1. rough and covered with, or as if with, scabs. 2. indecent; salacious.
redolent: (ARCHAIC) fragrant or sweet-smelling.
Bildungsroman: a novel dealing with one person’s formative years or spiritual education.
panegyric: a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.
Barry Eitel 